Election season is back underway after a federal panel of judges ordered the Mississippi Legislature to redraw its district lines in portions of the state that were previously diluting Black voting power.
Specifically, the federal panel ordered the state to redraw House districts in the Chickasaw County area, along with Senate districts in the Hattiesburg area and in the DeSoto County area.
With new maps drawn up by lawmakers during the most recent session now accepted by the federal panel – although hinging on an appeal filed by the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office – special elections for 14 legislative seats are set to take place this year. The primary election will happen on Aug. 5, with Sept. 2 reserved for any runoffs. Then, the general election will be held on Nov. 4.
Of the 14 seats, four are uncontested. The following incumbents, unless anything drastic happens, will be back in office come January:
- Democratic Rep. Karl Gibbs in House District 36 (Clay, Lowndes, Monroe, and Oktibbeha counties)
- Republican Rep. Dana McLean in House District 39 (Lowndes and Monroe counties)
- Democratic Sen. Juan Barnett in Senate District 34 (Covington, Jasper, and Jones counties)
- Republican Sen. Joey Filingane in Senate District 41 (Covington, Lamar, Marion, and Walthall counties)
As for the 10 seats with competition, here’s what to know about each.
House District 16 (Chickasaw, Lee, Monroe, and Pontotoc counties)
Incumbent Rep. Rickey Thompson, a Democrat, was first elected to the seat in 2019 after unseating longtime lawmaker Steve Holland. He was then reelected in 2023 with no one choosing to run against him. During the 2025 session, Thompson served on the House Enrolled Bills, Agriculture, and Public Health and Human Services committees.
Thompson is being challenged in the primary by Brady Davis, the current CEO of the Chickasaw Inkana Foundation. Originally from Nashville, Davis has made a name for himself in Mississippi and was recently tasked with overseeing the $60 million Chickasaw Heritage Center project in Tupelo.
House District 22 (Chickasaw, Clay, and Monroe counties)
Incumbent Jon Lancaster, a Democrat who turned Republican in 2021, is looking to retain a seat he’s held since 2020. During the 2025 session, he served on various committees and was vice chair of the House Public Utilities Committee. He made headlines by authoring a bill to allow homeschooled children to play public-school sports, and while the “Tim Tebow Act” passed the House, it failed in the Senate.
Justin Crosby, a Democrat, will try to unseat Lancaster on a platform that he says will “bring real opportunity home to District 22.” Issues he’s focused on include expanding Medicaid, early voting, criminal justice reform, and economic development, among others.
House District 41 (Lowndes County)
Incumbent Rep. Kabir Karriem, a Democrat, is looking to retain a seat he’s held since 2016. Karriem has become a leader in the Mississippi Legislative Black Caucus, recently being voted in as chairman. He’s consistently been an advocate for voter registration rights and has tried, on multiple occasions, to rid the state of its tradition of honoring Robert E. Lee on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Karriem, a former Columbus city councilman for Ward 5, is being challenged in the primary by another former member of the city council. Pierre Beard, who represented Ward 4 before losing a bid for reelection earlier this year, is trying to trade his old desk at city hall for one inside the capitol.
Beard, who has been arrested for drinking and drug-related charges multiple times since 2023, has released a platform that includes bringing better transit to District 41, building an amphitheater, and fighting to keep the Mississippi School for Mathematics & Science in Columbus.
Senate District 1 (DeSoto and Tate counties)
Incumbent Sen. Michael McLendon, a Republican, is once again vying for the seat he has held since 2020. During the 2024 session, McLendon chaired the State Library Committee and vice chaired the Insurance Committee. McLendon’s current platform is that he’s running “against the machine,” accusing his opponents of engaging in dirty politics.
Challenging McLendon on the GOP side is Jon Steveson, who has garnered support from a group of area leaders, including Olive Branch Mayor Ken Adams. Stevenson, a former Alabama Crimson Tide football player and current DeSoto Economic Development Council board member, wants to invest in infrastructure, fund the state’s public employees’ retirement system, and shrink the size of government.
Representing the Democratic Party for the Senate seat is Chris Hannah. The candidate currently does not have a campaign website or social media account set up.
Senate District 2 (DeSoto and Tunica counties)
The District 2 post will have a new occupant following the retirement of Republican Sen. David Parker. Southaven Ward 2 Alderman Charlie Hoots is leading the GOP’s charge to keep the seat red. Hoots was unopposed in his most recent bid for his alderman seat and has touted his role in cleaning Southaven’s streets, building new recreational facilities, and boosting law enforcement efforts.
The primary will give voters a better look at who will champion the Democratic Party come November, but for now, three prospective office seekers will battle it out to turn the Senate seat blue.
Theresa Isom, a nurse, educator, and healthcare administrator, is looking to strengthen Mississippi’s public schools and boost wages for the working class. Army veteran and retired educator Robert Walker is running to improve education and healthcare outcomes in his district, while advocating for policies that would bolster middle and working-class families. Kelly Andress will also appear on the ballot, though the candidate does not have a campaign website or social media profile.
Senate District 11 (Coahoma, DeSoto, Quitman, Tate, and Tunica counties)
Incumbent Sen. Reginald Jackson, a Democrat, will once again look to represent District 11 for another term. Having most recently served as vice chair of the State Library Committee while maintaining membership on a list of other committees, Jackson plans to continue championing causes that benefit the Mississippi Delta, workers, and educational outcomes.
Looking to return to the capitol, former Rep. Abe Hudson Jr. is challenging Jackson in the Democratic primary. Hudson is running on increasing teacher pay, ensuring all Mississippi children have access to early learning opportunities, modernizing infrastructure, and growing local economies.
Aiming to flip the seat is Republican Kendall Prewett. Though he has the backing of former Gov. Phil Bryant, Prewett does not have a campaign website with his legislative priorities.
Senate District 19 (DeSoto County)
Incumbent Sen. Kevin Blackwell, a Republican, is looking to retain a seat he’s held since 2016. Blackwell has been a major crafter of health-related policies through his position as chair of the Senate Medicaid Committee. He also played a pivotal role in creating Mississippi’s medical cannabis program and advocating for a new way to fully fund public K-12 schools.
Blackwell will once again meet Dianne Black in the general election. Black has lost prior bids for state House in 2023 and U.S. House in 2022 and 2024. She lost to Blackwell in a 2019 state Senate race by nearly 28 points.
Hoping to finally get into office, Black is running on platform points like Medicaid expansion and early voting. She’s an Olive Branch-based cosmetologist who works for local NAACP and Democratic women’s chapters.
Senate District 42 (Forrest, Greene, Jones, and Wayne counties)
Sen. Robin Robinson, considered one of the most conservative lawmakers at the capitol, is being challenged in the Republican primary by her own brother. RJ Robinson filed to run against his sister, but does not have a campaign website set up.
If reelected, Robin plans to keep backing the agenda of President Donald Trump, but at the state level. She’s an outspoken advocate for nixing diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in public schools – a law recently put on hold by a federal court – and banning transgender athletes from participating in girls’ and women’s sports through a 2021 law. She’s also vowed to be pro-economy, pro-law enforcement, and pro-first responder. In 2025, she authored a bill that included additional funding for volunteer and municipal fire departments.
Robin served in the state House from 2020 until assuming her position in the Senate in 2024.
A third Republican, Don Hartness, is also running. An Army veteran from Ellisville, Hartness has a campaign that centers on key issues like term limits, ensuring Second Amendment rights, and further lowering taxes. He lost to Robin in a 2023 bid for the same seat.
Senate District 44 (Forrest, Lamar, and Perry counties)
Republican Sen. Chris Johnson, who has held his seat in the legislature since winning his 2015 election bid, entered the political sector with a background in business. The lawmaker most recently served on a litany of committees, including a role as chair of government structure and vice chair of finance. If reelected to a newly drawn district, Johnson plans to continue pushing a pro-life, pro-law enforcement, and pro-business agenda.
Challenging Johnson in the GOP primary is Patrick Lott, who has branded himself “the honest conservative” of the field. Lott’s legislative priority is to “ensure that Mississippi is the best state to live, work, worship, and raise a family.” He vows to combat what he believes to be an agenda to strip Mississippians of their values.
The lone Democrat in the race is Shakita Taylor, a well-known Hattiesburg attorney. Taylor’s campaign slogan is “Community, Faith, Progress,” and her legislative goals entail furthering investments into education, mental health, and the overall health of young people in her district, along with the entire state.
Senate District 45 (Forrest and Lamar counties)
Democrat Johnny Dupree is looking to get back on the political scene in running for the newly created state Senate seat. Dupree served as mayor of Hattiesburg from 2001 until 2017 when he lost to current Mayor Toby Barker. He’s also had unsuccessful bids for governor in 2011, secretary of state in 2019, and U.S. House in 2022.
According to his campaign website, Dupree plans to fight for “smart tax policies, stronger schools, safer neighborhoods, and better opportunities for every family” if elected. He also wants to see expanded access to healthcare and infrastructure improvements.
On the Republican side, Anna Rush is running for the seat. For the past seven years, she has been the lead prosecutor for the city of Hattiesburg and is the president of the Mississippi Bar Young Lawyer Division. Her platform places an emphasis on improvement in healthcare, education, and economic development.
Election information
In-person absentee voting ended on Aug. 2 ahead of the Aug. 5 primary election. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. for day-of voters. The Mississippi Secretary of State’s Office reminds eligible voters that anyone in line before 7 p.m. is legally entitled to cast a ballot. An eligible photo ID must be brought to polling locations to avoid having to cast an affidavit ballot.
Polling locations and sample ballots based on a voter’s address can be found here.
More special elections incoming
Two additional special elections will also happen on Nov. 4 to fill seats left vacant through the state’s recent municipal elections. Senate District 26, previously held by Jackson Mayor John Horhn, and House District 26, previously held by Clarksdale Mayor Orlando Paden, will be on ballots in their respective areas.
With the officeholders resigning from their positions at the capitol, state law does not require a primary election to be held. Those running in the Senate District 26 and House District 26 races do not run under a party label with winners declaring affiliation upon being sworn in. The qualification deadline for office-seekers is Aug. 21.
